self-appointed

American  

[self-uh-poin-tid] / ˈsɛlf əˈpɔɪn tɪd /

adjective

1. chosen by oneself to act in a certain capacity or to fulfill a certain function, especially pompously or self-righteously.

   a self-appointed guardian of the public's morals.

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self-appointed British  

adjective

1. having assumed authority without the agreement of others

   a self-appointed critic

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Other Word Forms

• self-appointment
  noun

Etymology

Origin of self-appointed

First recorded in 1790–1800

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

self-appointed

Married to the legendary Washington Post editor Ben Bradlee until his death in 2014, Quinn has functioned, at least since the 1980s, as the self-appointed spokeswoman of the nation’s permanent political establishment.

From Salon ● Jul. 21, 2026

Harbored at different times by Yemen, Syria, East Germany and communist Hungary, this self-appointed tribune of the oppressed was finally captured in Sudan in 1994, then convicted in France of multiple murders.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 20, 2026

I, the self-appointed queen of snacks, brought a plethora of goodies and drinks from my Sherman Oaks apartment.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 7, 2025

In 2014, Rep. George Miller of California, House Democrats’ self-appointed “lead” on the issue, sent a letter to the FBI that might read today as if ChatGPT had written it.

From Salon ● Jun. 8, 2025

Laila had been to funerals before where she had seen women like this, women who relished all things that had to do with death, official consolers who let no one trespass on their self-appointed duties.

From "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini